Monday, April 13, 2009

So here's a conundrum.....

My father split when I was 13. The day his divorce became final with my mother, he married another woman who lived in a neighboring town and had three kids of her own. So for a few years, I vacillated back and forth between his house and my mother's house. (Mom hardcore solid conservative as it gets - Dad married a woman who dabbled in witchcraft and watched porn together as a family. Can you imagine the chaos of Twichie's growing up years?)

When I turned 18, Dad called and said 'Now that you're an adult I don't have to pay anything for you. You're on your own now kid.' And that was it. I heard from him two or three more times after that. Once I needed money desperately for an emergency surgery and called him and he said no. I ended up needing a loan for it.

So a few weeks ago, bumped into my step-sis on Facebook. We talked a bit about life, kids, etc. We hadn't talked in nearly 20 years so we caught up. We exchanged pics of the kids and such - that's it though. Didn't really connect.

So today on my wall she writes (publicly I might add) that my Dad is dying and she thought I should know. She admitted he's a crappy dad but she said she thought I would want to know so I don't have regrets.

What the heck should I feel about that? I haven't thought about my Dad in years (other than a few weeks ago when she and I reconnected and then it was more...oh wow. Yeah. But nothing more than that).

There's a nice curveball. Add to that the realization that she had no idea he and I hadn't spoken because she says his walls are covered with pictures of me and the kids (obviously sent by my mother without my knowledge) and she assumed we were in contact enough that I sent those.

Also? We're planning a family vacation in May and we'll be driving through (of all places) the town where he currently resides and THAT was where we'd planned to stay the night.

The man was abusive when he DID pay attention to me and a jackass at his BEST. What the heck happens next? Stay tuned - it may end up in a screenplay.

*sigh*